If my French would have been better I would have written to the papers. Dealing with Police officers and administration in a foreign country can be a delicate matter. Learn the rules and don't cross the line.
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Having five adopted siblings helped me understand how hurtful comments could be at a young age. My parents not only taught us to use our words carefully but to show zero tolerance when others were not thinking; coaching them gently to understand their own use of words. Don't underestimate the power of words.
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Lessons learned from my German Law Professor. I will never forget his touching WWII story and how he made me feel the day he shared it. I thought of his story watching the election news unfolded and as I was coming to grips with the results. Kindness is never forgotten!
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Angry children, angry spouse, angry anybody.... Misunderstandings happen every day. This is the cutest misunderstanding I know of.
When I first arrived in Europe I was told to lose my sweats and pyjama pants! It was a very sad day for me! Dress codes are changing but back then you would have been considered a complete freak to go to the grocery store dressed like you'd just rolled out of bed.
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Have times really changed? Manners are still manners and a good dinner with friends or family is still a highlight. Spend quality time together and lose the phones for a few hours.
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Surviving expat life and surviving motherhood = tears will flow. It is nothing to be embarrassed about. Perfection isn't the goal. Own it! I cry!
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Purple hair, piercings, clothes that you don't like. If you have a teen, this might sound familiar. I shaved one-half of my hair away at age 14. The picture of it makes anyone who sees it roar with laughter, especially my kids. Read about how to deal with these kinds of outbursts from your teen.
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No, it's not true! I have been stereotyped so many times living in Europe; this is one of my favorite stories about how stereotyping can be very rude and embarrassing. Yes, I am American, yes I live in Europe and yes I eat healthy food.
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When you ski you fall. Life is a bit like skiing; you fall! When my Dad was teaching me to ski he taught me a valuable lesson about falling, failure and getting back up.
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Keep calm and celebrate Halloween. It hasn't always easy; from finding the right kind of pumpkin to getting everything I thought I needed. It has been 27 years in Europe, 5 different countries and I still do something for Halloween every year.
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Even if you feel like it, you're not a taxi driver! Don't beat yourself up over missed classes and saying no to an activity. You are allowed a life and your kids need time to breath and daydream!
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